Tongue Loosening Draughts and Bed Head
by Jack'N'SallyGal
Summary: For the one person you want to love, even if they wont always let you. JL oneshot, rated T for mild language


**The Effects of a Tongue Loosening Draught **

Summary: (7th year during Christmas holiday)It's a big night for James. The Marauders are there to cheer him on, and Sirius to discreetly give him courage in a vial. Only a certain red head seems to be missing… oneshot.

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.. but I get to go see Ootp on Monday! )

A/N hello world! Thanks to MCdoubleE for beat-ing this, your work was appreciated!

This is just a little thing I came up with and decided to work on while I'm working on my other two fics. Enjoy

"She's not coming is she?"

Sirius didn't want to sound negative but-

"Probably not."

James tried to empty his mind and breathe in the crisp, December night air, but it wasn't helping him. Sirius pitied the love struck Prongs and shook his head. He noticed James's slightly crooked tie and set to work straightening his tux dutifully while offering words of wisdom.

"You'll be fine Prongs. Sure right _now_ you may feel like you're going to hurl..but after you give your speech you'll feel good as a goblin."

James shook his head glumly.

"But Lily isn't here Pad."

"Yes James, but we are."

The door to the banquet hall opened and Remus appeared outside fixing his cuff links. Peter followed with Firewhiskey for all. James snatched a cup, while shoving Sirius's hands away from his tie, and drank it down in one sip. He reached for another but Remus slapped his hand away.

"You're not getting pissed before your speech."

Peter nodded sensibly.

"Don't drink your sorrows away, Prongs."  
James groaned and looked out into the night that was cloaked in darkness.

"She's not coming."

--

_meanwhile…_

"…Bloody..sodding strap!"

Lily Evans hopped on one foot while attempting to do the clasp on her strappy heels.

Tonight was James's speech promoting the Auror Academy. It went without saying that his speech would have an impact on whether or not he would get an internship over the Summer after their final year of school and she wanted to be there for it.

"Where's my..purse.."  
She hunted through her bedroom rifling through her dresser for the clutch that she bought for the occasion.

"Found it!" She cried in satisfaction. She caught sight of the clock and yelped, "Oh jeez,"  
James worked up the courage after a Prefects meeting in November and asked her to join him at the Auror's Christmas Ball. Her answer had been a noncommittal since she was't sure if she could make it but she had every intention of showing up. She hadn't expected her boss to mandate her to stay over at the dingy bookshop where she was employed for the holiday.

"Oh Merlin," She snatched her coat off her bed and ignored Petunia yelling for her to stop running in the house.

--

"James?" Sirius asked sweetly.

"What, Pad?" James muttered.

"If you don't stop bouncing your leg I'll break it off."

James looked down at his leg that seemed to have a mind of its own. Sirius smiled and offered his Firewhiskey but James declined.

James Potter was not afraid of making speeches in front of large crowds of important people. But tonight his stomach was knotty and he felt the urge to get sick.

"Pad, will you get the Calming Draught from my robe in the cloakroom?" Remus instructed as James grew paler.

"I'm on it Wolfie." Sirius said exiting the ballroom with a secretive smile.

James pulled a stack of note cards from his pocket but found the words blurring in front of him.

"I'm losing it." He muttered rubbing at his eyes behind his glasses.

"I've got the Draught." Sirius said proudly.

He handed it to James who drank every drop without hesitation. He screwed up his face and placed the vial in his tux.

"Thanks. Merlin, that was foul."

"You'll be calm soon enough James," Remus said confidently, "You'll be fine."

"Go up there and speak like you mean it," Sirius instructed, "You give that speech like there's no tomorrow, hold _nothing _back."  
Remus shook his head in amusement.

"What are you going on about Sirius?"  
Sirius quit his pep talk and lounged in his seat.

"Nothing. Just advising Prongs to.. pour his heart out up there."

James nodded and suddenly clasped a hand to his heart.

"I can do that..shouldn't be too hard, I wish Lily was here, I'm mad about the girl and she didn't come..oh it's almost my turn!" James prattled.

Remus and Peter exchanged alarmed looks.

"Prongs..?"  
"I'm feeling loads better, thanks Sirius…I can't wait to get up there, if Lily was here I'd be even more nervous, haha can you imagine-"  
Remus turned calculatingly in his seat to fix Sirius a glare.

"Sirius Orion Black, what did you-"

Sirius placed his finger to his lips as James was called on stage. James flashed his friends a toothy grin and swaggered on stage. Remus was still glaring at Sirius, while Peter was shaking his head and snorting.

"Have a little faith Moony." Sirius said nodding at James.

"Good evening my name's James," He began trying to calm his racing thoughts, "I'm still in Hogwarts and you're probably wondering, 'Why did they choose that young git to speak to us?'. Well to tell you the truth, I'm not so sure why either."

Remus tried to cover his hand over his eyes but Sirius prevented him from doing so.

"Watch and learn Remus."  
James cleared his throat quietly and shoved his note cards in his tuxedo.

"I'm supposed to tell you that the Auror program will be long and tough, but that it will be worth it.

For those of you out there who are Auror hopefuls like me, if you think you're doing the Wizarding world a huge favor by 'sacrificing' your time for the program..then get out."  
The room was in a dazed silence now. James looked to the table in the back where Sirius was nodding and giving him a discreet thumbs up.

"Sacrifice makes it sound like you're going to be tortured. So why would you join if you thought it was going to be a burden to your..already burdened life. Maybe your considering the job but you don't want to give up your friends, let's face it spending time with friends is pretty high on the to-do list of most teens-"  
Sirius frowned slightly and Remus groaned.

"You moron, he's going to start rambling!"  
Sirius sat up straighter in his chair and pointed toward the entrance.

"No he won't."  
Peter shook his head.

"Yeah he will, he's in panic mode-"  
Sirius rolled his eyes and very deliberately turned his mates heads toward the door where Lily Evans was standing quietly, not wishing to disturb James's speech.

"-So if your knickers are in a twist over giving up a bit of spare time-" James was interrupted by someone quietly clearing their throat. Remus jerked his head pointedly toward the door.

James's eyes found the exit and the stunning red head in her modest knee length white dress. Lily smiled and tucked a stray piece of auburn hair behind her ear, nervous under his appraising eyes.

"Holy Hippogriff…" He mumbled not realizing that he was speaking aloud.

She nodded with a small smile. Urging him to continue.

He nodded dazedly focusing back on the crowd.

"What I am trying to get out is that, what some people call a sacrifice is more than worth it. There are some things.." His eyes went back to Lily, "Some people who are more than worth giving up your time. You don't join the Academy for the fame or the wages. If you really want it you know exactly why you're joining.

You're joining for your mates, who you'll do anything to help. For your family who counts on you to defend them from all the bad stuff out there …" He paused holding eye contact with a certain red head who was too entranced by his words to move, "Or for that one person who you want to protect even if they won't always let you. There are so many reasons to join the Academy.

The one reason that won't leave my mind is the girl I'm beyond in love with. She has no clue what she does to me. Being around her makes me nervous as hell but she has the ability to make me want to step up and do something that's right, even if it may not be easy. That I can be a better person and not a cocky git who hexes.. well, I don't need to get into all of that with you people.

But she is my motivation, even if she's disgusted by me half the time, I'd love nothing more than to become an Auror so I could keep her safe.. be able to watch her wake up every morning. She's so beautiful when she wakes up late for class and she has to run around the dorm with her hair tousley from a deep sleep.." He broke off as the audience smiled at his quiet, loving words.

I want to say that my life from here on out will be easy, I'll get into a decent university, become an Auror and spend the rest of my life being happy just to watch my favorite girl wake up in the morning…but I don't know how my life will turn out. So for now I'm going to make the most of it and surround myself with the people who are important to me."

James nodded once to the crowd, signaling the end of his speech.

"Thanks."

The room broke into applause that continued as he made his way through the tables toward Lily Evans. She was leaning against the door with a smile that made James's heart turn over.

"You really like my bed head?"

He gripped her hand that came to rest on the front of his tux, lightly rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"It drives me mad." He said quietly.  
Her smile widened as she leaned toward him so her lips were next to his ear.

"I drive you mad?."  
James leaned in closer and lightly brushed his lips against her cheek causing a shiver to run through her body.

"Constantly." He admitted in a low, husky voice.  
Music filled the room, barely penetrating the spellbound Gryffindors thoughts. Lily looked into his dark hazel eyes trying to find any untruth to all that he was implying. James waited patiently for her to work through her doubts. After what felt like an eternity she wrapped her arms around his neck in a tender hug. James returned the embrace kissing the top of her head and wondering why he had never told her all of this long ago.

"Let's dance, yeah?" She asked in an uneven voice.  
"Yeah."  
They stared at each other for a moment before her lips met his in a soft first kiss that left them both longing for more. James remained rooted to the spot in a daze over the fact that Lily Evans had finally said yes to him without him even having to ask. When he was able to gather his thoughts after their striking first kiss he found Lily on to the dance floor with a teasing smile waiting for him to follow her.

James paused to glance around and found Sirius, Remus and Peter chatting up university girls. Sirius acknowledged James with a sly smile. He reached into his tux and produced a vial with the words boasting; _**Tongue Loosening Draught; Nervous or Shy? Give This A Try!**_

_"You can thank me later." _ He mouthed to James.

James somehow ended up saying the right thing thanks to the Draught. He was thankful that Lily had come when he had been under the effects of the Tongue Loosening Draught because he never seemed to say the right thing to her. It was one of the many times that he had to give Sirius credit for doing something diabolical and conniving.

_"Thanks, Pad."_

James thanked Merlin for Tongue Loosening Draughts as he waded through the crowd of people anxious to dance with his favorite red head.

--

JNSG Note: there it is. My first oneshot. If James's monologue seemed kind've jumbled to you then that's good because it was supposed to be! But it should be pretty obvious that his feelings for Lily aren't going anywhere.. etc.


End file.
